Projectile hopper refillable by removable magazine

Abstract

A projectile launcher (101) comprising a projectile hopper (401) that it refillable from a by a removable magazine (202). The projectile hopper comprising a non-return flap (403) that transitions to an open position (602) when the projectile launcher is transitioned to a rotated position (601), allowing projectiles (503) to flow from the magazine (202) to the projectile hopper (401), wherein the non-return flap (403) transitions to a closed position (702) when the projectile launcher (101) is transitioned to a neutral position (501), restricting the projectiles (701) within the hopper from flowing back to the magazine.

1 - 9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . A projectile launcher comprising:
 a firing mechanism;   a hopper positioned above the firing mechanism when the projectile launcher is in an neutral firing orientation, the hopper comprising a funneling surface;   a magazine positioned below the firing mechanism when the projectile launcher is in the neutral firing orientation, wherein an interior volume of the magazine is fluidly connected to an interior volume of the hopper;   intermediate guiding features separating the magazine and the hopper, the intermediate guiding features are configured to assist a plurality of projectiles flowing from the magazine to the hopper;   a funneling surface formed in the hopper and configured to assist movement of the plurality of projectiles from the hopper to the firing mechanism; and   a non-return flap positioned between the interior volume of the hopper and the interior volume of the magazine, the non-return flap movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the non-return flap moves to the open position when the projectile launcher is moved from the neutral position to an inverted position and the non-return flap moves to the closed position when the projectile launcher is moved to the neutral position.   
     
     
         11 . The projectile launcher of  claim 10 , wherein when the non-return flap is in the open position, the plurality of projectiles contained in the magazine transfer to the interior volume of the hopper. 
     
     
         12 . The projectile launcher of  claim 10 , wherein the non-return flap is hinged at a first end thereof, wherein when the projectile launcher is in the neutral position, the non-return flap is moved to the closed position by gravity and when the projectile launcher is in the inverted position, the non-return flap is moved to the open position by gravity. 
     
     
         13 . The projectile launcher of  claim 10 , wherein the hopper is non-removable. 
     
     
         14 . The projectile launcher of  claim 10 , wherein the magazine is removable. 
     
     
         15 . The projectile launcher of  claim 10 , wherein inverted position is at least 90° offset from the neutral position. 
     
     
         16 . The projectile launcher of  claim 10 , wherein the plurality of projectiles are substantially spherical. 
     
     
         17 . The projectile launcher of  claim 16 , wherein the plurality of projectiles are gel pellets, paint balls, plastic pellets, or foam balls.